No Country for Old People: Filmmaking for Change in Nursing Homes with Susie Singer Carter

By Marianne Sciucco, New York, USA

As AlzAuthors celebrates its 10th anniversary, its first-ever film festival brings together a passionate community—storytellers, caregivers, advocates, and creatives—to shine a light on the hidden realities of dementia care. The result? This intensely candid discussion with award-winning filmmaker and podcaster Susie Singer Carter about her powerful 3-part docuseries, “No Country for Old People.”

Revealing the Truth Behind Closed Doors

Susie’s film doesn’t pull punches. Based on her poignant and, at times, harrowing experiences trying to care for her mother in a touted “five-star” nursing home, the documentary captures not just one family’s struggle, but a longstanding systemic crisis. As audience members reacted with words like “horrifying,” “eye-opening,” and “truth,” it was clear: viewers recognized their own heartbreak, challenges, and fears reflected on the screen.

Susie explained, “If I didn’t [share this story], I felt culpable, I felt irresponsible…I knew it was going to be hard.” Her vulnerability—her willingness to admit she never wanted to become a crusader on this issue—makes her message even more powerful. Supported by federal prosecutor Rick Mountcastle, she weaves personal experience with systemic critique, aiming not at blame, but at sparking collective action.

Caregiving and the Myth of the “Safe Facility”

One massive misconception the discussion tackled: Moving a loved one into a care facility ends the caregiver’s burden or guilt. Marianne Sciucco, host and founder of AlzAuthors, observed, “You’re even more in the barrel…now you’re fielding all the phone calls; you still have to go in there and make sure things are getting done.” Susie echoed this—describing the exhausting, emotional maze caregivers must navigate, even after “doing everything right.”

Audience members bravely shared their own stories of vigilance, disappointment, and, at times, heartbreak within care homes. Themes of isolation, chronic understaffing, and the emotional toll on both residents and their advocates wove through the conversation, drawing a painfully clear picture of a system struggling to provide dignity and safety.

Understaffing, Undertraining, and the Need for Cultural Change

Again and again, Susie’s film and the ensuing discussion exposed understaffing as the root of myriad problems: Overmedication (“snowing” residents), neglect, avoidable injuries, and a dearth of meaningful engagement for those living with dementia. She called out the corporate business model—one that prioritizes profits over care and keeps advocates fighting endlessly for even the most basic reforms.

Nevertheless, Susie and audience advocates like Virginia and Frank insisted that change is possible. They discussed hands-on strategies—redirecting with patience, using music and the arts as connection, showing up every single day. But the message was unmistakable: “It is inhumane, what’s happening.” True progress, they insisted, will require cultural and political shifts and stronger, more unified advocacy.

Building a Movement: ROAR for Change

As a direct result of filming her docuseries, Susie founded ROAR—Respect, Oversight, Advocacy, and Reform for Long Term Care—a movement aiming to galvanize families, caregivers, and the public to demand changes in how we care for elders and those living with dementia. She calls for transparency, accountability, and compassion: “We need to take back the power and become the customer. Because right now, the government is the customer, not the resident.”

You Are Not Alone

The power of this AlzAuthors festival isn’t just in storytelling—it’s in community. As Marianne closed, she reminded participants, “Remember you are not alone. One can sing a lonely song but we chose to form a choir and create harmony.”

Susie’s film and the raw, generous voices of the panel are a call to action—not just for those currently walking the dementia journey, but for all of us. Whether you’re advocating for a loved one, working in long-term care, or seeking to understand the realities beneath the surface, her message is urgent and universal: Dignity, respect, and compassion for society’s most vulnerable are non-negotiable.

To continue the conversation, watch “No Country for Old People,” explore the many film discussions from AlzAuthors, and if you’re ready, join the movement to ROAR for our elders’ future.